John Stig Claesson (2 June 1928 – 4 January 2008), also known under his signature Slas, was a Swedish writer, visual artist, and illustrator. Claesson was born on 2 June 1928 in Huddinge, south of Stockholm. He attended the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts between 1947 and 1952, during which time he began to illustrate Swedish literature such as the novels of Per Anders Fogelström. Claesson is the father of actor Leif Claesson. His son, artist Nils Claesson, published a revealing portrait of his father in the book Blåbärsmaskinen (The Blueberry Machine, 2009) which was much discussed in Sweden on its publication. Stig Claesson died on 4 January 2008 in Stockholm.

Career

Claesson debuted in his writing career in 1956, when he was 28 years of age. During his career Claesson published more than 80 books. A number of his books are based on travel abroad and move in the frontier between reporting and fiction. Among his best-known works include En vandring i solen (Walking in the Sun, 1976), which was made into a film with Gösta Ekman in the role of the main character. Claesson provided works about the remote and rural regions of Sweden and describe the conflict between the town and the country in books such as Vem älskar Yngve Frej (1968; Who Loves Yngve Frej), which was translated into 10 languages and was filmed for television in 1973 starring Allan Edwall. A stage adaption was created in the 1990s. His last book was God Natt Fröken Ann (Goodnight, Miss Ann), published in 2006.

Stig Claesson's work has received many awards, such as the literature prize of the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet and the Selma Lagerlöf Prize. The University of Uppsala awarded him an honorary doctorate degree in 1974.

He died on 4 January 2008.

Bibliography

Berättelse från Europa, 1956 Från Nya världen, 1961 Supportern, 1962 Bönder, 1963 Ugnstekt gädda, 1964 Västgötalagret, 1965 En Stockholmsbok, 1966 Kiki, en liten man, 1966 (foto Yngve Baum) Dråp i hastigt mod, 1966 Lage Lindell, 1966 (Bonniers små konstböcker) Flickor, 1967 Döden heter Konrad, 1967 I stället för telegram Finland 50 år, tillsammans med Jens Hildén, 1967 21 Berättelser, 1968 Vem älskar Yngve Frej, 1968; filmatiserad 1973 Nelly, 1969 Den ensamme nobelpristagarens vardag, 1970 Knut K. Selma Johansson med rätt att leva, 1970 Sanningen och ingenting annat än, 1970 Att resa sig upp och gå, 1971 Samtal på ett fjärrtåg, 1972 Min vän Charlie (My friend Charlie), 1973 Yrkesmän emellan, 1974Brev till en hembygdsgård, 1974 Stockholmsbilder, med ill. av Svenolov Ehrén, 1975 På palmblad och rosor, 1975 Bättre kan det inte sägas, 1976 En vandring i solen, 1976 (filmatiserades 1978, se vidare, En vandring i solen) Henrietta ska du också glömma, 1977 (filmatiserades 1983, se Henrietta (film)) Ni har inget liv att försäkra, 1978 Allt står i lågor, 1979 Medan tidvattnet vänder, 1980 Om vänskap funnes, 1981 Sveaborg eller Rock happy, 1981 Lika oskyldigt som meningslöst, 1982 Sagor för barn och vuxna, 1982 10-årskalendern, 1982 (specialtryck) Utsikt från ett staffli, 1983 I boulevardens skugga, 1983 Dagarna före lunch, 1984 De tio budorden, 1984 Det bortglömda landskapet, 1985 Blå måndag, 1985 Lantlif i Budapest, 1986 Kamrerns julafton, (Bonniers julbok) 1986På behörigt avstånd, (teckningar och collage), 1987 Nya Stockholmsbilder, (ill. Svenolov Ehrén), 1987 Skam den som fryser, 1987 21 Sagor, 1988 Kärlek rostar inte, 1988 Landet som inte längre finns, 1989 Iakttagen (målade porträtt), 1989 Innan himlen klarnar, 1989 SommarStockholm, (teckningar) 1989 En mörts drömmar, 1990 Målade porträtt, 1991 Yngve Frejs landskap, (pasteller) 1991 Rosine, 1991 Skånebilder, (pasteller) 1991 Han och hon, (sagor) 1992 Blues för Mr Shelley, 1992 Män i min ålder 1992 Nästa man till rakning, 1993 Nästa Katrineholm, 1993 (specialtryck) På landet, 1993 Årstider och åsikter, 1993 Vägen till brevlådan, 1993Nice Mat Sol, 1994, (med Nils Emil Ahlin) Till Europa 1994, (foto Leif Claesson) Den extra milen, 1994 Eko av en vår, 1996 Vandring med mig själv, 1996 Blå stolar, 1996 Man måste det man önskar, 1997 Vad man ser och hedrar, 1998 Varsel om kommande tilldragelse, 1999 Svart asfalt grönt gräs, 2000 Det lyckliga Europa, 2001 Efter oss syndafloden, 2002 Följ Alltid Cecilias Exempel, 2003 Sov du så diskar jag, 2004 Liv och kärlek, 2005 Sekonderna lämnar ringen, 2005 God natt fröken Ann, 2006

Claesson also wrote the television show Harry H - Fallet Mary (Directed by Jan Halldoff), which was originally aired on Swedish TV 2 in 1978.